Month: April 2018

Rice Kheer is a popular dessert prepared all over India. Known by different names like Kheer, Doodhpak or Paal Paysam, it is thick, creamy and utterly delicious. Fragrant Basmathi rice is the best choice for making kheer.

Ingredients :

1 litre milk

100 gms Basmathi rice

16 tsps sugar

1 large pinch kesar/saffron

1 tsp Cardamom powder

A few cashewnuts and kishmish roasted in ghee to a golden brown.

Method:
Wash and soak the Basmathi rice for about fifteen minutes. Add the sugar to the milk and bring it to a boil in the pressure cooker. Allow it to boil upto five whistles. After the pressure has been released add the rice and cook upto three whistles. Add the kesar, roasted cashewnuts and raisins. Boil for a couple of minutes and then add the Cardamom powder. Switch off. Cover and keep aside for about 15 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse. By cooking in the pressure cooker, the milk takes on a pleasant pinkish hue.

Baking cakes has never been my forte, the main handicap being my aversion to eggs. I did try a couple of eggless bakes, but they did not appeal to me. This time I tried my hand at a simple Vanilla flavoured cake by Pillsbury which was more to my satisfaction. Since it is a pre mix, I just followed the instructions on the pack. The only addition I made was dusting it with desiccated coconut to make it look appealing. Celebrating the first anniversary of my food group Vinaya’s Culinary Delights on Facebook, on May 1st, hence the shape in the form of numeral ONE.

A variety of dishes can be made from Sago pearls/Sabudana. It is known for its cooling properties and also given to convalescents as it is light on the stomach. A kanji or porridge is fed to infants during the hot summers. Posting a kheer today.

Ingredients :

1 litre milk

100 gms Sago pearls/sabudana

12 tsps sugar

1 large pinch kesar/saffron

1 tsp Cardamom powder

A few cashewnuts and kishmish roasted in ghee to a golden brown.

Method :

Boil the milk and add the washed and drained Sago pearls to it. Keep boiling on a gentle flame till they are cooked. Add the sugar, kesar, roasted cashewnuts and raisins. Boil for a couple of minutes and then add the Cardamom powder. Switch off. Cover and keep aside for about 15 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse. Serve hot or chilled.

This baby Eggplant Sagllein is a Konkani delicacy. Tiny Eggplant / Brinjal is stuffed with coconut Masala and finely chopped raw onions and then sautéed in a seasoning of coconut oil and mustard. Goes well with Rice, Roti or even with Bread.

Ingredients :

250 gms small variety Brinjal

1/2 of a small coconut

1 large onion

2 tbsps coriander seeds

25 seeds of methi/Fenugreek

15 roasted Byadgi chillies

1tbsp tamarind paste

Salt

3 tbsps Coconut oil

1 tsp mustard

Method :

Wash the Brinjal. Remove the stem and slit them into four keeping the base intact. Chop the onion fine. Roast the coriander seeds and methi in a tsp of oil till they turn golden brown. Grind the coconut, roasted red chillies, tamarind and the roasted coriander and methi seeds to a coarse paste. Drop in the chopped onions and salt in the coarsely ground paste and mix thoroughly. Stuff this masala into the brinjals . Keep aside. Heat the coconut oil in a pan. Add a spoon of mustard. After it splutters switch off the gas and place all the stuffed brinjals in the seasoning. Tip in the remaining masala. Add a large glass of water and allow to boil. Transfer into the microwave and cook till done. Alternatively you can cook it on a gentle flame in the pan itself.

A light, healthy and delicious stir fry, this Peas and potato upkari as it is called can be eaten with Rice and Dal, Roti or as a meal by itself. The inherent flavour of the vegetables remain intact because of the minimum use of spices.

Ingredients :

250 gms gms peas shelled

2 medium sized potatoes

3 green chillies

2 tbsps coconut oil

1tsp mustard

Salt

A pinch of hing/Asafoetida

Grated coconut for garnish.

Method :

Deskin the potatoes and chop them into tiny pieces. Wash both the peas and chopped potatoes thoroughly. Place them in a sieve for the water to drain off. Heat the oil in a pan. Add a tsp of mustard and after it splutters add the finely chopped green chillies. Saute for a minute. Add the hing and toss. Drop in the peas, potatoes, salt and a little water. Cover and cook till done. Garnish with grated coconut.

I had posted a Malabar Spinach and Jackfruit seed Stir fry a few days ago. Since this Leafy vegetable is in season, I like to make the most of it. Here is a Bendhi which goes well with both Rice and with Roti. The seasoning of garlic makes it so flavourful that it is irresistible!

Ingredients :

A small bunch of Malabar spinach

15 Jackfruit seeds

1/2 of a coconut grated

14 roasted Byadgi chillies

1 tbsp tamarind paste

25 cloves of garlic

2 tbsps coconut oil

Salt

Method:

Clean the Malabar spinach. Discard the thick stems if any and retain the tender ones. Wash thoroughly and chop both the stems and leaves together. Cook them together in a glass of water with a little salt till done. Keep aside. Remove the outer white peel of the Jackfruit seeds. Cut the seeds into half. Wash and pressure cook to four whistles with a little salt. Grind the coconut, roasted red chillies and tamarind to a smooth paste. Drop in the cooked jackfruit seeds and the Masala into the Malabar spinach. Boil well. Heat oil. Drop in the garlic which has been lightly crushed. Roast to a rich golden brown. Tip the seasoning into the boiling Bendhi. Simmer for a couple of minutes. Switch off and keep aside for half an hour for the flavours to infuse.

I was left with bits and pieces of Breadfruit after making fritters and Pakora. Breadfruit is one vegetable that I wish would grow throughout the year. Being seasonal, it is available only for three months in a year. I end up making a variety of dishes from stir fry, to ghashi, Tallasani and anything that takes my fancy. Posting a saung that I made from the remnants after having those delicious Pakora!

Ingredients :

2 cups chopped breadfruit

2 cups sliced onions

2 tbsps chilly powder

1 tbsp tamarind paste

Salt

4 tbsps coconut oil

Method:

Heat oil. Tip in the sliced onions and salt. Keep tossing on a high flame till a few slices turn brown and the other remain translucent. Add the chilly powder. Toss. Add the tamarind paste, chopped breadfruit and a glass of water. Cook till done. Serve with Dal, rice or even with Roti.

Pullikoddel is delicacy made by the GSB community of Mangalore. It is a sweet, tangy and spicy curry all rolled into one and goes well with Rice or even with Rotis. Prepared on all auspicious ocassions as well as weddings, the aroma of the spices used will leave you asking for more!!

Ingredients :

500 gms Ashgourd

1/2 of a small coconut

2 tbsps coriander seeds

10 seeds methi/ Fenugreek

15 pepper corns

2 tbsps Chana Dal /Bengal Gram Dal

1 tbsp Til/ Sesame

A kidney bean sized piece of hing /asafoetida

1 tbsp rice

A pinch of haldi /turmeric

12 roasted Byadgi chillies

2 tbsps Tamarind paste

5 tbsps Jaggery syrup

Salt

4 sprigs curry leaves

1 tbsp mustard

3 tbsps coconut oil

Method :

Deskin the Ashgourd. Wash and cut into cubes. Pressure cook to one whistle with a little salt. Dry roast the coconut to a rich brown on a gentle flame. Roast the Byadgi chillies in half a tsp of oil till crisp. Roast the coriander, chana dal, sesame, methi, pepper corns and rice in a tsp of oil to a golden yellow. Drop in the hing and roast to a nice golden brown. Remove from flame and add the haldi. Mix thoroughly. Grind the roasted coconut, roasted red chillies, tamarind and the roasted spices to a smooth paste with as much water as required. Drop the paste into the cooked Ashgourd pieces. Add the jaggery and adjust salt. Boil well. Heat oil. Add the mustard. After it splutters add the curry leaves. Toss and drop it into the boiling Pullikoddel. Switch off, cover and keep aside for half an hour for the flavours to infuse.

Though Butter is widely available in the market today, the pleasure of eating the freshly prepared home made one is something to be experienced!! Its easy to prepare and free from preservatives. One can even use it to make ghee / clarified butter. Posting the method of preparing home made butter.

Method :

Boil milk. Allow to cool. Refrigerate. Thick cream gets collected on the top of the milk. Collect the cream everyday and add a tsp of Curd to it. Leave it outside to ferment for around five hours and then transfer it into a large container and refrigerate . Everyday the cream is first collected, fermented and then stored in the large container . Once a week, churn the cream so collected, in the mixer blender using the whipper blade. Fill the mixer to just half with the fermented cream and add a glass of water. Run the mixer using the whipper blade. Fresh butter gets collected. Remove the butter from the mixer and wash it thoroughly twice or thrice. The remaining butter milk can be used to make kadhi or even for soaking rice for Surnali recipes for which can be found in this website .